Game



Feb. 19, 1929.

v F. G. KI'ESLING GAME Filed Sept. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4;, l Q, 47 C@ Fd @Kslz ATTO R N EY Feb. 19, 1929.

F. G. KIESLING GAME Filed Sept. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 en' @Kms/z' ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNiTED STATES 1,103,009 PATENT oFFic'E.

man a. mma, or mon, rumors.

' am A Application Med September 8, 1987. Serial No. 217,507.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in games 'and more particular] to a game similar to the game of base bal which may be played indoors.

The salient object of my invention is to provide a game which will embody features similar to the game of baseball and which will be so arranged as to require skill in the playing thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for propelling the ball toward the batter which will be so arranged that so-called balls and strikes may be produced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a ball that is propelled towards home base may be struck by a manually manipulated bat which will be so arranged that the ball will be propelled back into the playing field in such a way that the various actions on a ball field may be duplicated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the game may be expeditiously moved from one position to another so that one player may manipulate the ball propelling means and another player may manipulate the bat, thus producing an arrangement which will be similar to two teams playing a game.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for tabulating the scores produced.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be lhereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevational view of a vpreferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line 2 2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan elevational view, certain parts having been broken away;

Fig. 4 is a sect-ional detail view taken substantially in the plane of the line 4 4 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view ofthe supporting arrangement employed in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view of a ball employed in the device; and y .Fig 7 is a detail view of an indicating device employed in the invention.

I In order to car out the above named ob- ]ect s, provide t e following construction which includes a frame 10 havin side walls 11 and 12 and end walls 13 am? 14. As is best shown in Fi 4 a slot 15 is provided in the walls of the evice which is spaced away from the top edge portions thereof so as to provide an upwardly extending border portion around the device. Mounted in the slot 15 is a substantially fiat board 16 on which the playing field is depicted.

By referrin to Fig. 1 it may be seen that the upper sur ace of the board 16 has a base ball diamond depicted thereon showing the players 1n the various positions they occupy during the playing of a base ball game. Suitable markings are provided which define the infield and the outfield.

I'n the outfield located behind the players which indicate the left, center, and right fielders, openings 17 18, and 19 are provided in the board 16.' Upstanding lip portions 20, 21, and 22 are rovided contiguous of one side of the openings 17, 18, and 19. The upstanding lip ortions are provided on the side of the openings disposed away from the so-called home base 23. As is apparent the openings 17, 18, and 19 are so arranged that they have spaces therebetween.

At the corners defined by the side walls 11 and 12 and the end wall 14 the corner portions of the board 16 are cut away so as to define openings 24 and 25, the utility of which will be made apparent hereinafter.

In order to propel the ball 26 toward the home plate 23 the following mechanisms are provided. Adjacent the pitchers box 27 an lopening 28 is provided in the board 16. Disposed below the opening 28 is a block 29 which has an opening 30 in the upper side thereof that is adapted to be disposed below the opening 28. The lower surface of the opening 30 is tapered so that the highest portion thereof is disposed toward the home plate 23. The tapered surface of the opening 30 is so arranged that it defines a shoulder 31 at the rear of the opening 30. Disposed so as to be spaced away from the shoulder 30 is the substantially circular ball receiving member 32 which is formed as a unitary part of the rod 33 which projects through an opening 34 that is provided in the block 29l and which terminates in the shoulder 31. At the opposite end of the ball Cil receiving member 32 the rod 33 includesa hook portion 34. As is best shown in Fig. 3 a suitable bearing stud 35 is provided on the wall 14. Pivotally mounted in the bearing stud 35 is the link 36 and the hook portion 34 of the rod 33 is pivotally attached to one end of the link portion 36. Mounted on the wall 14 is a leaf spring 37 which normally bears `against the end of the link 36 opposite that to which the rod 33 is connected and the leaf spring 37 normally holds this end of' the link 36 in engagement with the wall 14. An opening 38 is provided in. the wall 14 near this end of the link 36 and the button 39 which is pivotally connected to the link 36 protrudes through this opening.

The ball 26 is positioned in the opening 30 in engagement with the ball receiving member 32 when it is desired to operate the device. By depressing the button 39, the rod 33 is drawn rearwardly and the ball receiving member 32 is brought into abutment with the shoulder 30. Due to the tapered formation of the opening 30 the ball 26 will roll vrearwardly with the member 32. By quickly sliding the finger from the button 39 the leaf spring 37 will quickly force the end of the link 36 to which it is attached against the wall 14 and this will cause the opposite end thereof to move forwardly very rapidly and this will cause the ball 26 to be propelled toward the home base 23. It is to be understood that other quick releasing mechanisms might be substituted in place of the one that I have depicted but I have found the one described to be preferable for it entails a certain amount of skill on the part of the operator to properly direct the ball.

In playing the game one player will manipulate the mechanisms just described to `direct the ball toward the home base 23.

The other player will manipulate the bat 40. Disposed below the board 16 adjacent the home plate 23 is a block 41 in which the vertical shaft 42 is rotatably mounted. The bat 40 is pivotally mounted on the upper side of the shaft 42 and the lower end of the shaft 42 includes a right angularly extending portion 43. A block 44 is secured to the end wall 13 and an opening 45 extends through the end wall 13 and the block 44. A button 46 is mounted in the opening 45 and a link 47 is fixedly secured to the inner end thereof and is also pivotally attached to the portion 43 of the shaft 42. A leaf spring 48 bears against the inner end of the button 46 and tends to force it outwardly. By depressing the button 46 the bat 40 is caused to swing across the home base 23.

When the ball 26 is propelled toward home base in the manner described by one player the other player will depress the button 46 so as to manipulate the bat 40 to cause the bat to strike the ball and thus propel the ball back onto the playing field.

A suitable supporting structure 49 extends between the side walls 11 and 12 on the lower side thereof at substantially the mid-point between the end walls 13 and 14. The supporting base 50 has a pintle 51 thereon which is adapted to extend through the opening 52 provided at substantially the mid-point of the supporting structure 49. This structure is such that the frame 10 may be swung about on the pintle 49 and therefore the end wall 14 may be directed toward the player who represent-s the team in" the field and who is adapted to operate the button 39 and the end wall 13 may be directed toward the player who represents the team at bat and who is adapted to manipulate the button 46. When it is desired to change sides the frame 10 is merely swung about on the pintle 51 and then the players will operate the opposite buttons from those just described.

As is best shown in Figs. 2 and 4 a suitably formed supporting wall 53 is mounted below the board 16 so as to be disposed below the openings 17, 18, and 19. As is best shown in Fig. 2 the Wall 53 slopes toward the wall 14 and as can be seen in Fig. 4 the wall 53 is formed so as to embody a curved surface, the lowest portion of which is disposed at substantially the central portion of the end wall 14. At substantially the central portion of the wall 14 and disposed so as to be above the wall 53 an opening 54 is provided, the utility of which will bel made apparent presently.

On the surface of the board 16 that is disposed adjacent the end wall 13 a plurality of openings 55 are provided which are arranged in parallel rows. Suitable legends are disposed opposite the rows of openings 55; for example,at the point generally indicated at 56 the legend Outs is provided and three openings are shown which have the numerals 1, 2, and 3 disposed thereabove. A pcg 57 substantially similar to that indicated in Fig. 7 is provided which embodies a tongue portion that is adapted to be inserted in the openings 55. As the outs are made the peg 57 is positioned in the opening 55 disposed below the numeral which indicates the proper number of outs. At the point 58 two series of openings 55 are provided which have the numerals 1, 2. 3, and 4, therebetween and the legends, Strikes and Balls, are positioned beside the series of openings. By positioning a peg 57 in the proper openings the nun1- ber of strikes and balls on the batter may be indicated. As indicated at 59 two rows of openings 55 are provided which are disposed substantially parallel and which are consecutively numbered. These rows of openings are adapted to serve as indicators of the number of innings played by positioning a peg 57 in the proper opening and the names of the teams are disposed opposite the rows of openings. At 60y two rows of openings 55 are indicated which are disposed in parallel that he has a man on that base.

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rows and which have the team names opposite each row and which are also consecutively numbered. This row of openings is adapted to indicate the score of each team and a peg 57 will be inserted into the openings indicating the proper score for each team. A.t the point similar to first base an opening 61 and an opening 62 is provided at second base and an opening 63 is provided at third base. When the team at bat gets men on bases pegs 57 will be inserted into the proper opening 61, 62, or 63 so as to indicate that men are on those bases.

lVhen the ball is propelled toward home base 23 in the manner described the player manipulating the bat can watch the travel of the ball and if he believes the ball will fail to travel over the home base -23 he may allow the bat 40-to remain inoperative and thus count a ball. However, if it appears that the ball 26 is to travel over the home base 23 he will manipulate the bat in the manner described and thus cause the bat to strike the ball and ropel it toward the playing field. If the balli enters one of the openings 17, 18` or 19, it will count as an out. However if the ball travels between the foul lines which extend over first and third and fails to travel as far as the openings 17 18, and 19 t-he batter will be credited with a one base hit and will position a peg in the opening 61, to indicate If the ball travels through the space between the openings 17 and 18 or between the openings 18 and 19 the batter will be credited with a two base hit and will position a peg 57 in the opening 62. If the ball travels between the side wall 11 and the opening 17 or between the side wall 12 and the opening 19 the batter will be credited with a three base hit and will therefore position a peg 57 in theopening 63. If the ball 26 enters either of the openings 24 or 25 the batter will be credited with a socalled home run and will therefore score a point on a so-called run. It is to be understood that if the batter already has men on bases these men will advance the number of bases in accordance with the number of bases the batter has obtained.

It is apparent that I have provided a game which may be played `in substantially the same way as the game of base ball is played. It is apparent that the apparatus is so arranged that balls and strikes may be counted and also such that hits of various degrees may be made. It iS-apparent that the game will call for a certain amount of skill in manipulating the ball propelling mechanism and will also call for skill and judgment in exercising the bat. In addition to the foregoing the lgame is so arranged that it may be played without any material variation from the standard rules of base ball.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without de arting from the spirit of the invention. I, t crefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within'the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let-l ters Patent is:

1. A game of the class described including a substantially flat surface having a playing field marked thereon, a frame adapted to surround said surface and having ortions extending thereabove so as to rovi e a rim therearound, said playin field eing adapted to represent a baseball iamond, an opening in said surface at substantially the pitchers box in said diamond, said opening having a tapered surface disposed to slope away from holne base, a plunger in said o ening adapted to act on a ball positioned t erein, a button in said frame member, a link member pivotally mountedon said frame, said plunger and said button being pivotally connected to said link member, a spring acting on said link member, manual depression of the button being adapted to act on. said link member to retract said plunger against said' spring, quick release of said buttonipermitting said spring to cause said'plu'ngerto force said ball from said opening base. ,y

2. Agame of the class descriv y g a substantially flat surface having-a uLaying field marked thereon, a frameadapt'edvto. surround said surface and having; portions* f extending thereabove so as to'provide' afrim therearound, said playing field. lbeing adapted to represent a base ball diamond, means adjacent the pitchers box on said diamond for forcing a ball toward home base, means adjacent home base adapted to hit said ball back onto said diamond, said means 110 including a bat mounted for swinging movement over home base, a button in said frame, a link connecting said button and said bat, a spring normally holding said button in inoperative position, manual depression of said button acting to move said bat.

3. A game of the class described including a substantially flat surface having a playing field marked thereon, a frame adapted tosurround said surface and having portions extending thereabove so as to provide a rim therearound, said playin field being adapted to represent a base ball iamond, an opening in sald surface at substantially the pitchers box in said diamond, said openinghaving a tapered surface disposed to slope away from home base, a plunger in said opening adapted to act on a ballpositioned therein, a button in said frame member, a link` member pivotally mounted on said frame, said plunger and said button being pivotally connected to said link member, a spring acting on said link member, manual depression of said button being adapted to act on said link member 5 to retract said plunger against said spring whereby quick release of said button will permit said spring to force said ball away from said opening toward home base, means adjacent home base ada ted to hit said ball back 10 on to said diamon said means including a bat mounted for swinging movement over said home base, a button in said frame, a link connectin said button and said bat, a spring normally olding said button and said bat in inoperative position, manual depression of said button actin to move said bat whereby to strike said ba 1.

In testimony whereof I alx my signature.

I FRED G. KIESLING. 

